[Foundation-l] Note regarding status of privacy policy

Gerard Meijssen gerard.meijssen at gmail.com
Sat Aug 9 17:58:43 UTC 2008


Hoi,
So you are checked. You have to appreciate that by your own words, there
must be a reasonable suspicion. You even insist that it is published that
you have been checked. This means that it is now generally known that you
are under a reasonable suspicion... How nice, that you are now known to have
a tarnished reputation...

Actually when you are checked, and it is not published that you were
checked, you are much better off. When everyone can demand checking because
THEY are suspicious, publication of check results will only increase the
amount of vigilantism. Really, you are much better off when trusted people
do their checking and keep their confidences.
Thanks,
      GerardM

On Sat, Aug 9, 2008 at 7:46 PM, Todd Allen <toddmallen at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Sat, Aug 9, 2008 at 11:16 AM, Jon <scream at datascreamer.com> wrote:
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
> >
> > SlimVirgin wrote:
> >> On Sat, Aug 9, 2008 at 10:46 AM, elisabeth bauer
> >> <eflebeth at googlemail.com> wrote:
> >>> 2008/8/8 Michael Snow <wikipedia at verizon.net>:
> >>>
> >>>> The board intends to vote on this version, but before we do, I wanted
> to
> >>>> provide one last opportunity for your feedback.
> >>> While the policy deals at length with who has access it is very silent
> >>> about when all these persons are allowed to access my data and
> >>> actually access my data. The only thing somehow related to this was
> >>> "As a general principle, the access to, and retention of, personally
> >>> identifiable data in all projects should be minimal and should be used
> >>> only internally to serve the well-being of the projects." which is
> >>> somehow a bit vague. Who defines what is well-being? How is this
> >>> controlled? Who does guarantee that a nosy checkuser doesn't just look
> >>> up my user information, revealing my employer,  the wikipedia user
> >>> name of my boyfriend and other friends just for fun? How would I even
> >>> know?
> >>
> >> Elian, this is exactly the situation we have on the English Wikipedia.
> >> Jimbo takes the view that checkusers may be conducted more or less at
> >> random, for no reason, and the checkusers follow that lead. In other
> >> words, the Foundation's checkuser policy is being openly flouted.
> >>
> >> We've been told we can't complain to the Ombudsman commission because
> >> they only deal with violations of the privacy policy, not the
> >> checkuser policy. We've been told we have no right to know whether
> >> we've been checked. Attempts to introduce such a rule have led to the
> >> checkusers saying they will not follow it. And when we do find out
> >> that we've been checked, the only concern of the checkusers is to find
> >> out who told us, and to punish that person. It really is a very bad
> >> situation for the Foundation, one that's bound to lead to trouble
> >> sooner or later.
> >>
> >> Sarah
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> foundation-l mailing list
> >> foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org
> >> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
> >
> > I personally don't mind being checked.  Whenever, by whomever, so long
> > as the results are not disclosed. (disclosure, not checking, is governed
> > by the privacy policy.
> >
> > - --
> > Best,
> > Jon
> >
> > [User:NonvocalScream]
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>
> I do believe that checking is covered as well. And if it's not, it
> needs to be. Checks should only be conducted at least upon reasonable
> suspicion.
>
> --
> Freedom is the right to say that 2+2=4. From this all else follows.
>
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